Poultry profile: Sebright

SebrightBreed type: Bantam onlyColours: Gold laced with black, silver laced with blackMature weight: 500-700gTemperament: Confident, sometimes aggressiveEgg production: <100 eggs per yearThe Sebright is named for a British landowner of the 1800s, Sir John Sebright. While it originally thought the bird was named after him because he developed it on his own, it’s now believed the bird was actually developed in conjunction with several other breeders in his area.

They wanted the beautiful plumage of the Laced Polish Fowl on a small bird and Sir John created a club that worked towards this. He was then honoured by the club, who named the bird after him.

It was a big effort though. It took around 30 years of intensive breeding to come up with the bird we know today by cross-breeding Laced Polish Fowl and bantams to create the small but perfectly formed Gold and Silver Sebrights, although silver Sebrights actually look white.

The feathers on each bird are lined with black, off-setting the plumage colour to dynamic effect.

Despite it now being a breed all on its own, it is considered a true bantam. Males and females are also feathered the same, and experts say this, combined with its amazing colourings, makes the Sebright one of the most amazing birds to ever be developed by man.